Finding hope in her horizon
by SaidbhinLuch
Summary: Oh boy another Battle one shot. A Hermione centric story set in the pause in the battle after Harry heads to the Forbidden Forest and after they leave Dumbledore's office. Language due to Ron, being well, Ron. R/Hr cuteness abound so bewarned!


_**Not mine as you full well know, but as I'm here happy belated birthday to the Queen of our fandom Ms. JK Rowling! And of course one of the heros of the tale Harry!**_

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Hermione blinked back tears as she stared unseeingly into the crowd gathered in the Great Hall. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the sobs and muffled gasps of pain that were coming from all sides. She could swear that she could even smell the pain and suffering in the thick air surrounding her.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes as she felt Ron move next to her, he had sat up ram rod straight and was staring at something coming in the door. She followed his line of sight and gasped as she saw Neville and Oliver Wood bring in a far too limp Colin Creevey. She swallowed heavily and turned away. Ron gripped her hand and pulled her into a crushing hug. After a few long moments she realised that they were both crying silently.

It was far too much, all of it.

Hermione squeezed her eyes tight and clutched at Ron's back digging perhaps a touch too hard. However, Hermione couldn't bring herself to care at this moment. Hermione could barely think for the first time in her life, too many people, and too many friends.

Dead.

Intellectually speaking, she had always known that it was more than likely that people she knew would die...

But when it came to reality...

Oh Merlin. Hermione squeezed her eyes even tighter and moved further into Ron's arms, burrowing her head into the crook of his neck.

Colin.

Tonks.

Remus.

Lavender was apparently close to death.

And Fred.

'Ron? Hermione?' A broken voice cracked through the air causing both teens to jump away from each other. Their heads swivelled up to see a lacklustre Ginny barely standing in front of them.

'Y-yeah?' Hermione looked at Ginny, as Ron seemed to be unable to speak at the sight of his sister.

'Dad wants to see you, since we hasn't seen you in nearly a year.' Ginny looked at Ron, who still seemed to be in a stupor. Hermione slowly got up and gently tugged Ron up by the hand. As they weaved over towards the rest of the Weasely's.

Minus one now, the thought sending a cold wave over her.

'Ron! Oh good Godric!' Mr. Weasley moved over towards the trio and grabbed Ron in a hug similar to their previous one. Ron sagged into his fathers' embrace and despite the good half foot difference between the pair; Ron seemed so much smaller in that hug.

As Ginny reached over to her mother, Hermione suddenly felt completely out of place. She quietly moved away, and frowned as she saw Neville looking at her and Ron almost guiltily. Hermione jumped as she felt someone grab her hand.

'Don't. Please.' Ron barely breathed to her and clutched her hand desperately his knuckles turning white. She nodded at him and they sank down onto one of the benches. Ron loosened his grip on her hand and reached for her other one. He looked down at her hands and stroked one of her palms gently. Tears dripped down his face once more.

Hermione pulled her upturned hand out of his grip and lifted his head up and stroked his rather rough stubbled cheek. Her thumb gently moved his tears as she grazed his cheekbone. His eyes were locked on her face and for once Hermione didn't feel at all embarrassed. It didn't matter who was watching, especially now. He leaned forward resting his forehead against hers and she lowered her hand back down to one of his.

Again the moments seemed to stretch again, her eyes drifting shut.

Another jolt raced through Hermione, this one red hot as she suddenly made the connection. Judging by Ron's sharp intake of breath, so had he. They both leapt to their feet and looked around anxiously. Hermione dragged Ron over to Neville, who looked up at them solemnly.

'He's gone. I'm sorry; I didn't know what to do. All he told me was to make sure that the snake was killed.'

Hermione felt as though someone had kicked her straight in the gut and she couldn't catch her breath. She looked up at Ron, who had gone whiter than she had ever seen in her life.

'He's gone to him hasn't he?' They both turned round to see Ginny once again standing there looking at them.

They didn't have to answer her, Ginny's jaw clenched and she moved away mumbling something about stupid loveable boys with even stupider hero saving complexes. Hermione leaned her head against Ron's arm as they stood in silence.

'He'll come back right?' Hermione found herself asking voice cracking slightly.

'He bloody well better, or I'm going to find away to bring that fucker back, just so I can kill him again.' Ron muttered viciously leaning his head down on her head.

'He didn't- didn't even-' Hermione tried to breathe before she crumbled sobbing noisily and turning to run out the door. She fell to the floor as the thought that Harry had gone to _Him_. Walking into his own grave, in an attempt to save them all.

Why?

What had he learned?

Why would he do that to all of them, knowing how much pain it would cause?

Typical Harry.

She felt Ron move down next to her and bury his face into her singed hair.

'It's what he does. Him and that people saving complex he's got.' He whispered as her sobs subsided.

'He's like my brother... I just can't... We can't lose him Ron... It's too much.' Hermione gasped barely able to string together a coherent thought, let alone an entire sentence.

'I wasn't kidding about killing him if he does die you know. Bloke forgets what he means to people.' Hermione half chuckled at Ron's words and they both looked out at the Forbidden Forest, through the crumbled wall to the Entrance Hall.

'Come back alive Harry.' They both prayed as they sat in the stillness once more.

* * *

Hermione, Harry and Ron wearily walked from the Headmaster's office and back into the castle. Hermione moved to grab Ron's hand just as he moved to do the same. They both looked at each other too drained to smile. As they stumbled over rubble and at one horrifying moment slipped on a pool of someone's blood, people stopped to thank the three of them.

Any other day and Hermione would be shirking away, probably smiling inwardly at Harry's bashfulness and Ron's confusion but none of them were like that today. As they stopped at the Fat Lady's portrait, she burst into tears, swinging open without a word.

The trio stopped as they stood just outside the exit to the portrait hole and stared at their old home. In many ways it looked exactly the same, Hermione mused as they gazed around. The couches still looked as comfy, the fireplace as inviting and Hermione was sure she could still spy the burn mark on one of the tables from an incident with the broken wand from second year. But somehow, it felt off, them standing there, in this room that should have been home.

Hermione looked behind them and was startled to see a picture of the three of them from the DA, with the phrase '_Dumbledore's Army FOREVER!' _emblazoned across the bottom. The photo covered most of the wall and the three of them, so much younger in so many ways, looked determined and yet somehow carefree, unburdened and so very, very innocent.

Ron pulled Hermione slowly across the room as they followed Harry to the staircase leading to the boy's dorms. Harry stopped and looked at the pair of them before grabbing them in a bear hug.

'It's over.' The three stood there holding each other and Hermione relished in her boys embrace and the fact that they had made it.

It was over; she was just beginning to process that fact. She reasoned that it would take time for that to truly sink in, days maybe even weeks.

CRACK!

'Master Harry, Master Ron and Miss Hermione!' Hermione and the boys pulled back slightly from each other and looked down to see Kreacher beaming at them. Hermione blinked as she took in the sight of the House Elf beaming at her covered in dust, debris and blood. It was rather disturbing actually seeing someone grin through that mess.

'Kreacher, are you alright?' Harry broke away from them and crouched down to the filthy House Elf and reached out and touched his shoulder.

'Kreacher is fine! Kreacher defended Master Regulus and Master Harry!' The little elf puffed up with pride and beamed even wider at Harry. Harry chuckled and stood up and stretched.

'Could you get us some food please, Kreacher?' Hermione arched an eyebrow at him and Ron coughed pointedly.

'Once you clean yourself up of course!' He hastily added looking shamefacedly up at Hermione and smiling ruefully at Ron.

Kreacher practically danced with glee at been given requests and disappeared with another loud CRACK. The three of them turned and plodded slowly up the staircase. Hermione couldn't bring herself to be separated from the boys, not tonight.

As they pushed open the door to the boys' room they saw Neville sprawled on his bed still fully clothed with the sword in one hand. Ron flicked his wand and a blanket covered him. Hermione reached into her jacket and pulled out the beaded bag. She dusted it off and opened it and summoned their pyjamas. They each grabbed them in mid air and Harry and Ron indicated that Hermione should go into the bathroom first.

As Hermione pulled off her jacket and top she hissed in pain as the fabric grazed her burns and cuts. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She was beyond skinny, she could feel every single rib and her chest was practically flat and there were small round burns covering her shoulders and collar bone.

She snapped her bra off and walked into the scalding hot shower. She scrubbed at her body almost furiously for 15 minutes hissing every time she hit a burn or a cut. After 10 minutes of battling with her hair she sighed and grabbed her wand and severed everything just below the nape of her neck off. As she dried herself off she applied dittany to her injuries.

As Hermione pulled on her pyjama pants she managed to suppress a groan but as she struggled she pulled on an old Gryffindor jersey she couldn't stop herself. A gentle knock issued from the other side of the door.

'You alright 'Mione?' Ron called worriedly through the door. Hermione pulled open the door and looked up at Ron. He blinked in surprise at her hair or, or rather, she mused, the lack there of.

'I'm fine, moved the wrong muscle is all. I'm finished now.' Ron stepped aside and left her walk past him.

'Kreacher left a feast there, a full roast with everything, several dozen sandwiches and a chocolate cake. Seems the House Elves are celebrating by cooking up a storm downstairs.' Hermione stopped as she saw Harry sprawled on the bed half dressed in his pyjamas with a sandwich in one hand and his glasses still on his face.

'He's still breathing don't worry, I checked. Best to be sure, he seems to have a talent for collapsing on us.' Ron face twitched as though he was trying to smirk, but not quite managing it. Hermione ushered him into the bathroom before she went over to Harry and put the sandwich on a plate and left it on the nightstand. She also pulled his glasses off and repaired them with a light tap of her wand. She ruffled his hair good-naturedly and then gasped as she spotted something on this chest.

A large and glaringly red new lightning bolt was across the right side of his chest. She sighed slightly as she pulled the duvet up over him.

Hermione sat down on the edge of Ron's bed and picked up a sandwich and flicked her wand at the pumpkin juice so it poured itself into a goblet. She felt awkward sitting in this room, basically alone as Harry was dead to the world right now. She shuddered at the thought, quickly glancing over at him to make sure he was still breathing. He was thank goodness, and she heard the door creak open and Ginny poked her head in hesitantly. Hermione got up at opened the door to let her in. Ginny smiled weakly at her and pulled her into a hug.

'I just needed... It's just that...' Ginny tried to explain but Hermione shook her head and walked back to Ron's bed. Ginny stood awkwardly as she turned to look at Harry's prone figure and pulled self-consciously at her t-shirt. Her captain's jersey, slipping off one shoulder and bearing a snitch on one side.

Oh.

'Go. He'll need you as much as you need him. Ignore us.' Hermione sneaked a glance as Ginny leaned over Harry and kissed him softly. Harry stirred slightly and mumbled something in his sleep. Whatever it was, Hermione was quite positive she didn't want to know, was something good as Ginny smiled slightly wider before sneaking under the duvet and closing the curtains.

Hermione sat down again on the bed scooting further onto the bed, too tired to feel embarrassed about the fact that she was on Ron's bed.

Maybe not too tired as she felt a rush of heat emanating from her face and neck.

Perfect timing as Ron emerged from the bathroom, far cleaner and... oh my.

Hermione gulped loudly as Ron approached her drying his hair with a towel and he was shirtless.

Hermione tried her best to breathe but merely ended up wheezing slightly, which in turn cause Ron's head to shoot up in concern.

'You okay?' Hermione nodded a tad too enthusiastically but Ron simply looked at her and tossed the towel to one side as he moved the food and juice out of the way. Apparently he was completely unaware of the state he was in and right in front of her. And to think only a few hours before he was lifting her up in a furiously passionate kiss. Hermione took a few breaths to calm herself down, trying to ignore the boy, well man moving around in front of her.

'Ginny?' He asked quietly as he moved to sit next to her on the bed, leaning back slightly. Hermione nodded in response and Ron just lay back arms folded behind his head and he gazed up at her.

She blinked at his silent invitation to lie down, her first instinct was to run, but Hermione Granger wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. So she lay down next to him, closing her eyes and yawning widely.

Ron pulled the covers up over the pair of them and shut the curtains around them before casting a silencing charm. The latter due to habit, Hermione tried to convince herself as she turned to face Ron on the bed.

'We made it.' She whispered quietly, almost inaudibly and she stared up at Ron who was gazing at her intently.

He leaned forward and kissed her gently, almost a whisper of one, before leaning back and stroking her shortened hair. Hermione sighed contentedly and tried to ignore the butterflies zooming around in her stomach as she closed her eyes.

'You wanna know somethin' 'Mione?' He asked in a gravelly tone as Hermione opened her eyes slowly to look up at him.

'I think I love you.' Simple and plain, so very Ron she smiled.

'I think I love you too.' She replied huskily before she felt her eyes drooping as Ron pulled her into his arms.

There would be pain and suffering in the months to come, the thoughts drifted through her mind, but as long as she had Ron, there was still hope in her horizon.

They would hold, together.

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_**Just another little one shot based in the quieter moments during and immediately after the Battle. I hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Please read and review? (Cheer up a girl who as nothing to do but study for crummy repeats!)  
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_**THANKING YOU!  
**_


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